Beer dispenser



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W.4 F. DELZER BEER DISPENSER Filed June 5o, 194i Feb. 20, 1945.

BY ATTORNEY y.Paten-ted Feb. 20, 1945 i BER'DSPENSER' ,Williaml' Pelzer, Milwaukee, Wis.

l ..,.vapplcation'ilruiiejso, 1941,"lseriai'fivo.l 460,394

This invention relates to beer dispensers. c y The `dispenser of lthe present invention isparticularlyA adapted for home,y club, picnic, or other uses where bar facilities arenot available'forthe `serving .of'draft beer. w t l 1 An object of the present inventionis to provide a dispenser readily applicable to ypresent commercial forms' of kegs and the like and capable of discharging beertherefrom Without the necessity of using hand pumps or other types of pressure devices heretofore required in dispensing .l requiplment heretofore available.-l y

Other more specific objects and advantages.

appear from the following description of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

In the accompanying drawing: y Figurel is a side beer keg equipped with a dispenser constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on a larger scale of the dispenser shown in Fig. 1.

The dispenser selected for illustration is shown applied toa conventional steel keg I having a double-walled end head I I with standard tap bushing I2 fixed in the center thereof. bushing I2 is adapted to receivela well known type of tap I3 having a conventional clamp ring I4 with lugs I5 for gripping engagement beneath an'interrupted flange nipple II of the bushing. actuated and controlled by The clamp ring I4 is the usual winged collar I8 rotatably engaged with the body of the tap and in screw threaded engagement with the clamp ring III. The bushing I2 and tap I3 provides a convenient means for removably attaching the dispenser to the keg I0.

The dispenser shown includes `a conventional tap rod I9 extending through the tap I3 and frictionally gripped by a sealing gasket contained in a packing gland 2l and compressed against the tap rod bya nut 22 threaded on the tap. In this instance the tap rod I9 carries a discharge conduit 23 attached.` tothe outer end thereof through a hollow fitting 24 formed integral with the conduit, the fitting also providing communication between the rod and conduit. One end of the ntting 24 is xed to the end of the rod and the other end is closed preferably by a screw plug 25, which IBfon the central hollowelevation of a modern metal rod.' The interior of the tap ably of such length -as to extend toa pointfadja cent Athefar end of .the keg I, so; that when vthe keg. is inverted,l the .upper'end ofthe tap 'rod is adjacent or above the level ofthe liquid within the keg. At its upper lor 'farvend the tap lrod is equipped with a perforated tip-28 which-in this instance is screwed or otherwise removably at.-l tached to a tubular element 29 xedin the Atap contents of the keg* through .a series ofports -39 formed in the rod where theylmay assumea position adjacent thelovverl end ofthe kegwhenl the latter is inverted. .t The arrangement is suchy that the contents of the kegmaydischarge through thev portsw30, rodV` I9,\conduit23, and faucetf26 when the latter is opened.

In order to permit such discharge from the inverted keg provision is made for venting the upper end. thereof. The means for that purpose is an integral part of the dispenser and is so con-` structed and arranged as to effect free admission of atmospheric air tothe keg without permitting leakage of the beverage from the keg. In the dispenser shown this means comprises a vent tube 3I fixed at one end in the plug 25 and communicating with the atmospherethrough radial ducts y 32 in the plug. The tube 3I extends lengthwise `,of the tap rod I9 into the tip 28 where it is normally closed by an appropriate check valve 33.

It will be noted that with the check valve 33 thus disposedadjacent or above the level of the beverage in the keg (when inverted) the valve is not subjected to any material external pressure from the beverage and is therefor free to open under atmospheric pressure to admit air therethrough to the keg. At the same time the valve 33 prevents entry of the beverage into the vent tube 3l.

The check valve 33 is of a well known type cornprising a tubular body portion 34 of rubber terminating in alflat longitudinally slitted end 35 under vinternal uid pressure to permit fluidto escape through the n shown applied to the vent tube 3| with'its tubular body portion 34 *encircling the end of thetube to seal thesame. AFor a purpose which will later is removable to afford access to thek interior of the rod'and conduit for cleaning purposes. The

conduit 23 extends radially fromv the tap rod and v As indicated in Fig. 1 the tap rod I s is preferappear, the element 29 is provided with areduced portion 3E loosely surrounding the vent tube 3l and encircled by the body portion 34 of the check valve to seal ,the annular clearance between theA l tube 3l and the reduced portion 360i elementx29.

The dispenser shown may standard keg and prepared foruse las follows. The vtap I3 is first applied and secured to the bushing I2 in the usual manner and, with ythe rod.. 1.9 is opent@ the slit. The check valve 33 is be applied to anyl end of the tap rod I9 and the nut 22 is ro- 20 into light sealing The tap rod I9 is then the tap into the barforms, but that shown is of simple inexpensive opened by manipulation of the handle 21, bev-` erageV from the keg flows by gravity through they ports 30, tap rod I9, and conduit 23 to and through the faucet, the top of the inverted keg` being vented by ducts 32 t0 the air which enters through the tube 3l and passes through the valve 32 and ported tip `28 intothe interior-ot they keg.

It will be noted that during the advance of the tap rodk I9 into the keg, and before the ports 39 have passed inwardly beyond the sealing gaskei; 20, beverage entering the ported tip 28 might pass lengthwise through the tap rod and escape through the ports 30, unless some provision were made to prevent ,such .Howl In the dispenser. avoided by the seal pro-v shown, this difficulty is l Y vided in the manner above described by the body portion 3l ofv the check valve. Since the body 1 34 of the valve effectively closes the clearance between the tube 3 I and member 29, there is no communication between the portedl tip 28 and the interior of the tap rod I 9.

The stand 31 may o! course assume various purpose. It comprises a hollow sheet metal structure of ring-like form having an upper nwardly directed flange 38 providing a seat for the keg I0 and an inwardly turned lower iiange 39 forming an appropriate mounting base. The stand 31 is of sucient height to support the conduit 23 and faucet 26 clear of the mounting surface, and is preferably slotted, as at 40, or otherwise fashioned to accommodate the radially extended conduit 23.

Various changes may be made in the embodirment of the invention hereinabove specically described without departing from or sacrificing the advantages of the invention as defined in the appendedclaim.

I claim: I i.

In a' beverage dispenser the combination of a tap rod having a ported tip at one end for projection into a beverage container, said tap rod also having means intermediate the ends thereof for admitting vbeverage from said container thereto, a discharge faucet carried by the opposite end of said' tap rod and communicating therewith, a removable closure for said last named end of said tap rod, a vent tube carried by said closure and extending lengthwise of and within said tap rod, a beverage excluding check valve 'withinsaid ported tip for admitting air from said vent tube to said container, and means for detachably supporting said` tap rod in position with said ported tip and said beverage admission means, within said container.

` WILLIAM F. DELZER. 

